Father
by Ms.Cerisier
Summary: Sasuke doesn't know how to be a father, but he has Sarada to teach him how.
1. Father

Sasuke left the thought of restoring his clan while ago. First because he had to kill Itachi, then he needed to revenge his brother and finally because he didn't believe he had the right.

He had to amend a lot of things and even then it would happen far in the future…he didn't know how to be a father anyway.

.

He looked at the small bundle in his arms, the red tinted skin and chubby small body of his daughter. He let a small smile grace his face, and for the first time in years he felt content.

"Uchiha Sarada", Sakura said with mirth when she noticed the rapt attention Sasuke was giving to their baby.

"Hn" the man just grunted and kept observing the baby in his arms, memorizing her face without the help of his Sharingan.

"She looks like you"

"Ah" Sasuke smirked and that was it.

.

He didn't know how to be a father, he only had one for a short period of time and he doubted that Uchiha Fugaku was an adequate example. Even Kakashi, as his _sensei _and somewhat role model in his young days,was far away of father material. Orochimaru was dismissed on the spot. So he opted for observing his ex-classmates, at least one of them had to be of help. He snorted '_As if'._

Naruto was useless, he wondered how Bolt survived with that dobe around, but then Sasuke remembered who Bolt was son of and left it at that.

Shikamaru was too lazy whereas Sai was a weirdo. Chouji was not too bad but he didn't seem to know how he did it half the time.

"Daddy! daddy!" shouted a little voice, Sasuke looked down and saw that blinding smile his daughter always gave him when he came home.

"Sarada".

"I drew you a picture" Sarada said proudly while holding a piece of paper as high as her little arms allowed her.

"Hn" was the only thing that Sasuke said but then he pressed carefully his fingers against the forehead of the girl.

.

Sasuke doesn't know how to be a father, but he has Sarada to teach him how.

* * *

><p>AN: I didn't like nor dislike the epilogue of Naruto, but then I read some works about it and I don't really think that Sarada and Sasuke's relationship work like that. Nevertheless everybody has the right to think and write whatever they want.

Yet I have to agree that the relationship of Sasuke and Sakura somewhat surprise me. I felt that chapter 699 was a confession of Sasuke towards Naruto (kidding).

Anyway it is my first work in this fandom and language, so please bear with me.


	2. Welcome Home

**Welcome Home.**

Sometimes parenthood was easy, but more often than not it was hard, _hellish_, more when Sarada was too young to understand why Daddy needed to go for weeks and Mommy had to left her with her grandparents every other day.

Sarada was not a difficult child, she was quite most of the time but she had a bit of temper just like her parents, so the first times that they needed to drop her with others was horrible.

Sasuke swear that his daughter hated him when he returned home from a 3 months mission, it was the first long mission he took after the born of Sarada, and his little girl did not talk to him.

The girl knew about Daddy being a shinobi, and she understood when he had to go to missions, but she missed him and Mommy didn't scare the monsters under her bed well enough. So instead of going to greet his father after three months of not seeing him, she went to her room and refused to go out.

Sasuke had to bear the cold shoulder his daughter gave him for days.

.

The next times were easier, but Sasuke had to ask Kakashi for shorter missions.

His father was always occupied with the Police Force when he was a child, though both were in the same town they rarely interact. Itachi had a lot missions since he was ANBU and couldn't spend all his free time with him. Mikoto was the only one that spent time with him, she left the shinobi life when she was pregnant of Itachi, and therefore, besides her responsibilities as wife of the Head Clan, she had time for him.

Sakura didn't have the same fortune, she wanted to remain as medical ninja and he respected her decisions. She had to split her time between the hospital and Sarada.

Sasuke didn't want Sarada felt that they left her out, he wanted her feel happy and had good memories of her childhood.

If that meant shorter and boring missions, he would accept them without a second thought.

.

It was until Sarada was seven years old that he could return to the ANBU force.

"Okaerinasai!" a happy voice greeted him when he came home from a two months mission.

"Tadaima"

Once upon a time he would come to an empty house. Now a days he had a daughter that waited to welcome him.

.

He still doesn't regret to reject longer, more exciting, missions.


	3. Friendship

**Friendship.**

Uchiha Sarada was the daughter of Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke, less known as the niece of Uchiha Itachi, so it was expected her prowess in the arts of being a ninja. _That_ was what Uncle Naruto said when he came to visit and watched her practice.

Sarada though that her Uncle was kind of klutz but she liked him anyway. He also said that she remembered him of her mother when she was her age, especially when Uncle saw her with Bolt.

"Che, it's a waste of time… we will see it when we go to the Academy, Sarada" Bolt grumbled when he saw her reading a book, "Instead we can go to play with Inoji, dattebasa!".

But sometimes Naruto-jii also told the girl that she remembered him of his father, especially when he saw her with Bolt.

"No dobe, I don't want to be a dead last like you"

Naruto didn't know what to expect about them.

.

Sometimes Bolt could be so…

"Shanaaroo!"

.

Himawari was strange, sometimes she could be so shy and quiet and then she could transform in a furious girl.

Sarada liked her, even if his brother was an idiot.

.

Sometimes Sasuke went with Sarada to the park, especially when Sakura needed to do double turns in the Hospital. Most of the times he didn't mind, he just needed to be near in case his daughter had a problem, but then there were times that he wanted to kill something or someone just to stop the tantrum of his little girl.

What he did not expect was Uzumaki Bolt being there. He was like a carbon copy of his father as a child…a troublemaker, and Sarada being who she was, _an Uchiha_, didn't make any easier to get along with the boy.

"Your glasses are stupid" Bolt said when he saw her arriving to the playground him and his father were.

Naruto gave Sasuke an awkward smile.

"Your face is stupid, dobe" the girl replied.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow while the other man just barked a laugh.

.

Being a father is really difficult, so is being a best friend.

Sasuke hopes that Sarada will do it better than him, he doesn't want to imagine the drama that the Uzumaki siblings will put if some day Sarada goes missing like he did.

He doesn't want to imagine what he will do if it happens.

He doesn't want to imagine what _Sakura_ will do if it happens.

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you very much for all the faves and followers, I hope that you still enjoy this work. I was talking with a friend about this fic and she had some points about the timeline , that I hope that in the next chapter can apply. Anyway for reference I have to say that the order of the chapter in the timeline is not consecutive, when I finish all the chaps, I will publish the correct order if you want to read them in like that.

Also kudos for anyone who discovers the hints about who Himawari resembles, they are vague but I know you can do it. If you have some prompt that you want to see here, feel free to drop it. I don't know if I will fill it but I will make my best effort to do it.

[**Edited 11/21**, thank you nekochan1994 for pointing the mistake in "dattebasa" ]


	4. Her first word

**Her first word.**

Sasuke saw her daughter rolling happy in her playpen, clapping and babbling intelligible words. She didn't say anything clear yet, though she already took her first steps without assistance. She was a genius, no matter what Naruto said, he was only jealous that his baby girl did it first than his blond spawn.

She only needed to say her first word.

"Sarada, say _father"_ Sasuke said more like ordered.

Sarada only giggled when she heard his father's voice and then made gestures for him to pick her up.

"Come on Sarada, I know you can do it say _father"_ the man insisted, the only response that he got was more giggles. "Say father"

The baby-girl begun to whimper when Sasuke didn't carry her, the Uchiha sighed when he saw her distress and picked her up. He didn't stand seeing his little girl crying.

He had a father complex.

"Shsh, it doesn't matter" Sasuke said to the girl in his arms, "you are cuter than Naruto's boy"

"Pa…" Sarada burbled

"Hn?"

"Papa! Papa!"

Sasuke gave her a small smile and then hugged her, she was babbling in his ear repeating "papa" without a rest. Maybe it was not father, but _Papa_ was more endearing.

"Thank you"

.

When he saw Naruto the next day he couldn't resist to brag about Sarada's first word.

"She said _papa_"

It was better when Naruto told him that Bold didn't say anything yet.


	5. His brother

**His brother**

Somehow it was easier telling Sarada about his brother than telling Naruto or Sakura. Something about the innocence of his daughter made it easy to tell her about his younger days, before the massacre. When he and Itachi were happy.

Still he didn't tell her all the story — maybe when she were a little older and he felt less hate— he would tell her.

"Was Uncle Itachi strong?" Sarada asked after her dad finished telling her about one of his adventures with his brother.

"Ah, the strongest shinobi that I've ever known" Sasuke replied with a little grin, "Definitely stronger than the dobe"

"Hn, I'd had liked to know him"

"He would have been pleased to meet you too, Sarada"

.

Sometimes he saw a little bits of Itachi in Sarada, in her quiet demeanor when she was planning something, in the elegance of her movements, in the fire of her soul.

The massacre wouldn't have happened, he wondered if Itachi had approved of him as a father.

He made mistakes all the time and feared that one day Sarada would notice how imperfect parent she was saddled with. When she learned the true about his tainted past that she would hate him.

Though, he hoped that Itachi was proud and she still loved him regardless all his faults.

.

_"I failed. I won't put myself above you and tell you this and that, it's too late. So this time for once, let me tell you one small truth. It's all right if you never forgive me, but no matter what you become, I will always love you."_

.

He wanted to teach her the kind of shinobi her Uncle was, to approach problems less violently than others would, the simple motivation of being useful to others, about caring and protecting your loved ones.

"Even if the village does have its dark side and its inconsistencies, you're still Konoha's Uchiha Sarada" Sasuke said after he poked her forehead, "That was something that Itachi taught me, and I'd like you to remember. Also, never forget that you're an Uchiha and our curse is to protect our loved ones".

.

"_But no matter what you become Sarada, I will always love you._"

.

Sarada always goes with him when he goes to visit Itachi's grave.

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you for all the faves and follows :).


	6. Lessons

**Lessons**

Being a shinobi was something that Sasuke took too long to understand completely. He had had to ask to the founder of Konoha about its meaning and even then it was insufficient.

He didn't have his answer until he fought with Naruto and lost his arm in the process.

It was something that he had to pay dearly for and he hoped that one day could explain it well to Sarada.

.

"Ne dad, do you like being a Konoha's shinobi?" Sarada asked him.

"I don't dislike it" Sasuke replied after some minutes thinking.

"Then…Why are you a shinobi?"

"Ah, because being a shinobi gave both the pain of losing something precious and the happiness of founding something priceless" he answered.

.

His returning was not as easy affair as certain _dobe_ believed first. He knew since the words left Naruto's mouth that it would be difficult, if not impossible. He was a traitor. Even if he somehow helped to defeat Kaguya, the hero was Naruto and he was someone that just wanted his chance to take the world. They weren't wrong, although, they weren't right too.

He believed in his meaning of being a Hokage, yet he begun to believe in Naruto's words too. So, he endured that first years filled with distrust and hate and did his work as Konoha's shinobi the best he could.

Then little by little living in the village was easier, he traveled for months but the return wasn't as difficult as it was in the beginning. He had friends that waited for him.

Sasuke didn't forget about the massacre and all the lies, nevertheless he found some of the happiness that he believed lost in the big grin of Naruto, the small smirk of Kakashi and the warm smile of Sakura.

He did not return to Konoha, he returned to home with his team.

.

"You don't have to be a shinobi, Sarada" Sasuke said looking with love at the little girl in his lap, "you should be whatever makes you happy"

››"But if you want to be a shinobi, I'll ask you to find your own path…don't be a puppet Sarada-chan, make your own decisions without regrets and don't forget that _your mom and I will always love you"_

.

"Dad, I want to be a shinobi"

"Why?"

"Because I want to protect everybody, I want to be strong and make you proud…that's my ninja's way"

"I'm already proud Sarada"

.

When he went to pick her up after her first day in the Academy and saw the pleased little smile in her face, he thought that maybe he wasn't do it too bad …being a father.

He only wanted happiness for his little Uchiha girl.


	7. Details

**Details.**

_Food_

He didn't like sweets, he liked tomatoes.

Fortunately Sakura didn't seem to mind the lack of chocolates on that annoying festivity, also she couldn't bake to save her life.

However Sarada seemed to live for those cursed balls of diabetes —that was the name Sasuke picked up for dango, he wouldn't acknowledge something that was bad for his little girl—, she always demanded those as reward for her achievements.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, he didn't know how to say no to Sarada yet.

.

_Clothes_

Sasuke thanked whichever God gave his daughter common sense.

Sarada liked sensible clothes, which didn't show a lot skin. So any of those bastards that his daughter called classmates would see how cute his little girl was.

He burned Ino's Christmas gift for Sarada when he saw that it was clothes similar to those of the blond woman.

.

_Glasses_

The Uchihas had almost a perfect eyesight, if you didn't consider the damage that the Mangekyou Sharingan did.

Thus that Sarada used glasses was not for necessity, it was rather that she wanted them. The spectacles was a gift of Karin, and for a strange reason Sarada seemed to like the redhead.

It was kind of creepy when both of them did that thing with their glasses, that tic they did when they were about to criticize someone.

Sakura didn't mind and he liked them because Sarada did.

.

_Suigetsu._

Sasuke always threw everything Suigetsu gave to Sarada.

That idiot.

.

_Juugo_

He also tried to throw Juugo's presents, the man encouraged Sarada's sweet tooth.

Nevertheless Sarada often appeared to know when he would do it and intercede. The stupid dango was always present on each of Juugo's visits.

.

_Flowers_

When they went to Itachi's grave, she chose heather lavender and iris' flowers. For her grandparents she opted for hyacinth white's flowers.

Ino loved when Sarada came to buy, and the woman liked to teach her about their meaning. Inojin didn't have interest for them.

She wanted a daughter.

.

_Family_

What Sarada loves the most is her mom and dad, she will change all the dango of the world for them.

No matter what papa says.

* * *

><p>AN: Heather lavender – Admiration; Iris - Wisdom and Valor; Hyacinth white - I'll Pray for You.

About the segments of Glasses, Suigetsu and Juugo, there is a fic I'm working on and it includes more about them, so I didn't want to spoil something for it working in deep about those relationships here. Anyway, I hope you'll read it when I publish it.


	8. His love

**His love.**

He thought that he had lost everything when Itachi killed his parents, the moment he took the first step towards the path of hatred. Nonetheless, he naively thought that if he killed his brother, he would be free.

Betrayal happened and his hands would be always tinted in red, he just murdered the last person he could truly say he loved. He again lost his way.

He made new vows, yet he was defeated trying to achieve them. But then he returned and gained a new family

He fell in love twice, the first time with his wife and the last his with his daughter.

.

"What are you thinking, Sasuke_-kun?"_ Sakura asked when she saw her husband looking at nothing in the garden.

"That I'll do anything for you and Sarada"

Sakura didn't expect an answer, even if they have been married for some time now, Sasuke still was quiet and didn't share his thoughts most of the time. She smiled when she heard what his husband said.

"I'll also do anything for you, I love you"

"Hn" '_I love you too, Sakura'_

.

He didn't know how to love again, but he had Sakura and Sarada to help him to remember how to do so.


	9. Sickness

**Sickness**

"Is normal that it has this weird color?" Suigetsu asked behind him, looking worryingly at the concoction on the stove.

"Shut up idiot! Sasuke-kun don't mind him…he couldn't appreciate the gourmet food you're cooking" Karin interceded from his post in the breakfast table.

"Still porridge must be white" Juugo said quietly peering over Sasuke's shoulder to see the pot.

The Uchiha could feel the headache starting in his temple and those idiots didn't help with his annoying chatter. He looked displeased at the porridge that he was attempting to cook it; the concoction certainly look weird and far at the usual appearance that the one Sakura made when Sasuke or Sarada felt sick. Yet, it didn't seem all that strange at least not what Suigetsu moaned when he thought that Sasuke couldn't hear him.

Though, it had to be enough. Sakura had to go to a mission and Sarada cached some odd bug in the nursery.

He was totally capable of taking care of his sick four year old daughter.

"Sasuke-san, the porridge is burning"

"Thanks Juugo"

Now he only had to find a way to cook correctly this stupid thing.

.

At the end Juugo had to cook the porridge, the second attempt of Sasuke looked weirder than the first, Suigetsu's to the mirth of everybody didn't even seem like food.

Karin's, well Karin's porridge seemed like a normal porridge…however, it exuded some kind of suspicious odor and it could/couldn't be poison instead. They sent it to Naruto, just to know if it really was fatal.

.

"Thanks papa" Sarada said him quietly, it seemed that her throat still hurt.

Sasuke frowned and put his hand gently in the girl's forehead checking his temperature. It felt normal, but Sarada looked a little pale and the blush in her cheekbones was not its normal color.

"How do you feel?"

"Better"

Sasuke smile putting a fresh wet towel on her forehead, that was what it matters. He would clean the disaster in his daughter's bedroom when she slept.

If Sakura saw all the towels and medicines on the floor, those weird porridges at the nightstand and the slumped bodies of his team, she would never let him to take care of Sarada when she was sick.

.

"My tummy is good now, but my throat still hurts" the girl explained touching her neck with care, "But Auntie Karin put me some balm in my neck and it really helped, and Uncle Juugo gave that porridge with those weird plants but it made stop the pain in my tummy"

"And what did Uncle Suigetsu do?"

"He wet the towels" Sarada replied seriously, "The best wet-towels in the world mom!"

"Yes, the best towels dear" Sakura chuckled, Sarada had some strange fixation on Suigetsu, to the displeasure of her father "what did papa do then?"

"Ah, Papa was the best…he fed me and changed the wet towels, and he massaged my tummy so it stop hurting, and he told me a story and gave me tea…"

"He was very helpful then" the pink haired woman smiled

"Yeah the bestest nurse in the world!"

Sakura couldn't stop the laughter that the last comment brought along.

.

Now Sakura has to tend the new sickly Sasuke, and at least sends some medicine to Suigetsu.

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you very much for all the reviews, favorites and followers...I'm really glad that you like the story. Now I don't know if I will be able to update these weeks, you know soon it'll be Christmas and for me it means no-internet week (at least); also I'll be my birthday the next friday so...I'll be partying.

Still I want to do something about Christmas and birthdays, so I hope that I'll be able to update before I go to vacations, if I couldn't... I wish you a merry Christmas and I'll post before New Year.


	10. Maybe

**Maybe.**

Maybe if his uncle didn't choose to follow Danzo's orders.

.

.

.

"Hi dear, did you have fun today?" Uchiha Mikoto asked to her cute granddaughter when she came to pick her up.

"It was okay" Sarada replied.

'_Like her father' _Mikoto thought amused when she saw the bored expression on Sarada's face.

"SEE YA' LOOSER!" Uzumaki Bolt shouted not so far from them.

'_Now that is Itachi's glare'_, she had to talk with her older son…he just couldn't go and taught her niece how to intimidate her classmates.

.

"Father I don't think that Sarada has enough age to learn Katon's…"

"Sasuke learned that technique when he was seven years old and you..."

"We aren't in war anymore, also she is only four"

"But then how will I spend time with her?"

"…"

"How about her Sharingan? Maybe"

"Father, just don't"

.

"Uncle! Uncle!" little Sarada run towards Itachi with a big happy smile in her cute face.

She made him remember when Sasuke was her age, both of them are the cutest toddlers in all the world.

"Yes?" he asked while picking her up, like his little brother she liked being carried.

"Can we go to the Dango's shop?"

He didn't say "forgive me … again, next time" anymore.

"Hmm"

.

"It must be difficult" Ino said casually or at least pretended to be casual.

"What?"

"Being around Sasuke-kun's family, I mean they're kind of inexpressive"

Sakura didn't say anything just smiled, if only Ino could see the inexpressive Uchiha family around her daughter.

.

"Papa, grandpa is pretty weird…he keeps making those strange faces and turning his eyes red"

Sasuke sighed, granted it was no the weirdest thing his family had did around Sarada.

* * *

><p>AN: Happy belated New Year!, I hope that you have a nice start this 2015. The update is small and I think they'll be like that for some time, I'm doing my thesis (kind of it's a final project in order to graduate) so I'll be extremely busy tailing professors and writing school related papers.

Anyway happy 2015!


End file.
